Ten Hundred Lights
by theytalktome
Summary: The announcer stands there awkwardly, looking at Roman in his bulletproof vest, studying him, attempting to figure out what was going on as he had just been carried away from the show like that. (Slash. Justin Roberts/Roman Reigns.)


Roman Reigns yawns, almost too exhausted to consider starting his day at this hour; but he was well disciplined to the lifestyle by now to stay in bed and avoid his schedule. His boyfriend's soft sepia eyes study his magnificent form as he puts his arms through the black Shield tee-shirt in his hands, pulling the tight fabric down over his chest and squirming slightly to fit it to his waist. Justin studies Roman's figure, every inch of his chiseled body, the way those skilled fingers run through his mane of curly, jet black hair, the way his biceps ripple as he tries to adjust his shirt to fit his body regardless of the increased muscle mass he had been gaining recently; his fingers beginning to pick at the clinging fabric with some annoyance.

Roman turns around to find his boyfriend staring, day dreaming, mesmerized; his chuckle draws the older man out of his trance-like state, shaking it off and blushing wildly. Justin turns away and grabs his shirt off the rack in the closet, quickly putting his arms through and working a few buttons down before the man he was just gawking at grabs him, pulling him against the body that he was eyeing up; he lets out a soft gasp when he's spun around and fingers that had once been picking at his own shirt were now unbuttoning the only three that had gotten done successfully. He nods approvingly as he slips his hands around his lover's waist, looping his finger between tanned skin and a pleather belt; his vocals emit a soft growl as he pulls him by the hips up tight against his body. Robert's moves his hands from holding onto Roman's biceps and attempting to push him off to wrapping them around his neck and allowing himself to be caressed; hands gently running up and down his lower back while another hand kneaded his ass. He moans softly into the kiss Reign's gives him; it's hard, passionate, he backs him against the wall beside the closet and pins him there with his massive frame. Roman's eyes flutter open for a moment, deep brown eyes just wanting to watch the reaction as his warm tongue brushed against the soft, delicious lips of his lover, the taste of his lip balm was like putting whipped cream on heaven. His tongue teases Justin just momentarily before he's gained the all access pass to the older man's mouth; moving his hands back to Robert's hips and driving them against his own, grinding gently against him.

Reign's has already decided, with much simplicity, that today would be one of those days when he just had to go about teasing the living hell out of Robert's until he had gotten a more dominant reaction out of the shy, quiet, anxiety ridden announcer. He seals their kiss, parting slowly from his lips and smiling down at the smaller man. The look in Justin's eyes mean everything to him - the world - more than any prestigious accomplishment he had gained in his career on the field or in the ring: falling for the unlikely man was the touchdown, the championship belt: everything.

Justin stands, swaying slightly in a clouded daze that he attempted to shake off quickly; tripping against the wall and attempting to look like he had purposely done so. Roman feigns a serious expression, looking as if he didn't notice. The fierce blush of red in Robert's cheeks are all he needs to confirm that Roman has "still got it," although there had never been any doubt in the man's own head: putting that effect on someone like Justin was a little awing each time: even when he played it off that it was nothing.

The big difference between Seth Rollins and Justin Roberts was relieving and nerving all in the very same package: Where Roman, a quiet man himself, had gotten relief from not having to hear this constant rambling, never ending, never skipping a beat, always with some kind of commentary to add onto the initial spew of conversation, and then some, from his friend Seth… Justin just about talked at all. Justin was as quiet as he was cute: he just about said a word, when he had easily seemed like the most talkative person, the announcer was nervous, and only then had he begun to start rambling, and from there he would notice and quiet down all on his own… This, Roman could sit and listen to, and enjoy.

It's his turn to study his older boyfriend, sitting back on the bed contemplating his own choice in pants for the day. He watches him with less lust and more longing, remembering a few days ago when he realized something while watching the man on the televisions The Shield had acquired backstage… There was just something about the man he fell in love with - who he was almost too embarrassed to consider approaching, something that night more than any other, maybe the way the stage lights lit up Robert's beautiful face; his brilliant, sparkling brown eyes, mature and innocent, the way his soft, gentle and unblemished fingers curled around the microphone, the way his eyebrows lifted with excitement as he announced the match… and that voice... He was beautiful and perfect; everything Roman had ever wanted.

The Shield's enforcer had fallen so fast for the Raw announcer that he had already been considering sending Justin along with Ambrose - The Shield leader himself who had already fell so damn hard for "The Ballroom Brawler" Fandango, that he was already doing his ring shopping for some time now, Justin at least knew about Ambrose's intended proposal. Roman devised the perfect idea for it: perhaps, maybe Justin and Fandango's hands had been similar; and maybe he could go along with Dean to help determine the ring size to buy. Simplistic. Believable. Almost partially honest.

Justin's voice peeps up, quietly asking if he looked "okay," Roman is drawn out of his thoughts and laughs, nodding and standing back up, letting the older man know he was just a bit over dressed to tag along to the radio interview with him, but he of course loved it. He spins him around to get the perfect view of every angle before his eye catches something and he drags him to the bed quickly, sitting him down before rummaging through his own suitcases, throwing a few things out here and there to get to the bag on the bottom. Justin quirks his eyebrow at the sight until Roman brings it over, he stares at him for a moment, shrugging and opening his gift: the most gaudy gold tie… It nearly makes his eye twitch. The fabric was something the veteran announcer could not comprehend to describe. Shiny, silky, strange.. Some awkward metallic shaggy threads woven all over the fabric to create the most bizarre of textures.

Justin blinks. He smiles brightly and kisses Roman on the cheek, thanking him for his newly beloved gift. Reigns had truly kept him on his toes, all the time. He probably would have corrected his choice had they shopped together. Roman went around like he knew Justin completely, but he still had so much to learn. Justin is in the middle of thanking his boyfriend again when the younger man offers to put it on for him, and does so without waiting for a response. With Robert's luck, the only people who would like it had to be John Layfield and Michael Cole, and maybe even Lawler: all people who needed to be heavily reprimanded by the fashion watches Romans fingers as they sit on his neck, attempting to tie the exact knot of his preference, and then his eyes begin to wander; sitting focused on the Samoan's face, his dark eyes studying the way he tied the knot, looking attentive. He smiles brightly and when he does Roman looks up at him, like he knows, his hands stop moving and they sit, staring into one another's eyes like some cheesy movie. They're hushed with only the sounds of their breathing drifting through the air.

Roman studies Justin's face, his smile, his beautiful eyes. He felt nothing but the idea he had pinned into himself and suffocated in: that he did not deserve this man; his heart had changed him, maybe for the better. It was horrific to think about. He had felt that love was this illusion; only confirmed by Seth's fleeting relationships in pursuit of his need for someone to "complete" him.

Justin Roberts was the only person he wanted, the only person he wanted to fall asleep next to and wake up to protect. He was intoxicating. Roman remembers the very first day he realized he was in love with Roberts and the first time he decided to admit it to his friends, to break away from the relationship with Dean and Seth, who had by then already chose to go their separate ways with Fandango and Seth was drawn to Paul Heyman like an unsuspecting fly to a bug light.

The first time he admitted it and approached Justin himself, gotten so close… the poor guy was frightened to pieces, expecting a Shield beat down instead of a confession of affection. Justin Roberts had been through so much hurt that Roman wanted to live to make him smile, to never be lonely again.

The man a mosh pit couldn't wake, but the second Justin shifted in bed he was sitting up straight; aching to fight someone to protect his lover. Roman was the jealous type, what's his was his, no one else's.

Now Roman was the one hurting.

Roman's fingers move from the tie to Justin's face, caressing his cheek with his thumb and sighing. He had never felt like he did not deserve something before; it was new and strange and hard to comprehend. He wanted so bad for Justin to stay, to put a ring on his finger and never let him leave. Something about that alone made him frightened, that maybe his feelings made him weak. He looks back up into his lovers delicate brown eyes when his name was spoken - Justin's voice is his favourite sound and it chases away all of those feelings seem so stupid. Roman had given up to the idiotic thoughts once and let Justin walk out of his life - if only for a few hours until the big man went running for him; nearly spearing him in the hotel lobby when he ran to grab him… Seth had always said if two people had meant to be together, they would find their way back. Roman was like a magnet to him.

Justin loves him. He feels it every time they touch, when they're apart and he can see him from the monitor. When he walks down the stairs to the ring, and Justin is focused, watching up the stairs to see his lover. He would never give up seeing those stunning brown eyes love him.

Justin's lips press so softly against his that it nearly shocks him out of his pushes him back onto the bed and pins him there, kissing his lips in a heated fury; Justin never thought of himself as a prize, and had this awfully low self esteem and complete absence of an ego… but Reigns made him feel all of those things when he got him down like that.

There's a distinct cough that makes Justin stop, pawing at Roman to move, but the bigger man knows exactly who the noise came from, and truthfully, neither of them minded watching the other with their toys, but the batting of Justin's hands make him stop. He moves only inches away from the older man's lips to tell Ambrose to leave before he claims Justin's mouth with his lips and tongue again.

Ambrose rolls his eyes before strolling over to Roman and grabbing him by the shirt, pulling him up and tossing him off onto the floor with a certain amount of effort; he always kept himself almost weightless on top of Justin out of the fear of hurting the small man. He announces that they need to leave for their interview, as well as get to the arena early to plan a new attack on Christian before the veteran even got to the arena.

Roman peers down from the steps high above the ring, watching Justin watching him. He was too far to make out his face, but he could feel that he had lit up immediately. It gave him an even stronger drive to fight - to show off - to prove himself to Roberts as if he was an emperor sitting in the gladiator's coliseum. He needed to win, to score the pinfall for The Shield.

He shakes out his arms and brushes the stray hairs away from his face, a few deep breaths, his eyes still focused on Justin… the only thing that made him nervous. Dean leads them down the steps and he follows behind Seth, ignoring the fans patting various places of his body and scowling back at a hand that landed on his ass. He jumps over the barrier after Rollins and takes a last look at Justin who blushes wildly and looks away momentarily. It's all the behemoth needs.

Roman quietly requests to step in the ring first, gaining Ambrose's approval as Christian enters before either Uso twin. Ambrose enjoyed seeing a good massacre. Roman roars as he immediately thrashes Christian down into the floor with a heavy clothesline. Christian grabs at his back while Roman stalks his body and flexes his fist, watching the veteran crawl into the corner of the ring, stalking him with a smirk plastered on his face. Immediately he begins kicking his downed body in a furious pace, stomp after stomp until the ref is forced to back the big man up, shouting at him, nearly giving Christian the opportunity to make it to his feet.

Roman glances at Justin's face; that pretty little smirk he was trying to hide was so damn hott that it makes him just that much more cocky as he walks back to Christian, head held high. Roman grabs the blonde, pulling him up and whipping him into the corner, he charges at him full speed and Christian heaves his body up on the turnbuckle, kicking Roman down into the mat with a hard slam before running across the ring and kicking his downed body with a baseball slide. Justin's eyes widen with worry and he stops chatting about the match and his love for his boyfriend to Dr. Sampson beside him; his friend just listening to the pride in his voice. It was nice to see Roberts happy for a change.

Jey runs into the ring, flying by Roman's eyes and attempting to catch Seth who sends him flying out of the ring. Roman nearly misses another attack from Christian, making it across the ring to the ropes and launching himself from them, soaring at Christian and sending him back into the mat with a spear and Christian coughs as the wind is knocked out of him. He grabs the man's leg and presses his entire weight down on him, watching Ambrose stalk the match at ringside while Seth launches a series of punches on Jey on the other side of the ring.

The bell rings and Seth drops Jey like he was nothing, climbing back into the ring as Roman sits up off of Christian. He pats Reign's shoulder but the man just keeps staring ahead at Justin, his eyes so intensely focused as he stays hovering over Christian's body while watching the other man. Ambrose steps into the ring and Jimmy goes to retrieve his brother while Christian curls up on his side and Roman slowly stands up, eyes never losing focus on Justin. Ambrose loves the sight of the blonde on the mat and instantly circles around him, laughing and kicking his body, Seth follows in quickly and Roman only breaks focus to join in.

The Uso's manage to collect themselves and slide into the ring, each taking on Seth and Roman while Dean has Christian cornered, unleashing his sadistic side on him: so eager to see the blood spill from his skin that his mouth waters at the thought. Roman sends Jey flying out of the ring, swinging him over the top rope and Christian slips away from Dean and begins to retreat up the ramp. Roman looks up from the floor to Justin seated at ringside, his brown eyes widened in a mixture of awe and fear, perhaps the latter being for the opponents as Roman's power and affiliation with The Shield had meant Roberts was protected from anything, everyone and everything. Justin gives a curt nod to Roman, subtle and fleeting.

The three turn to find Jimmy still laid out in the ring to Seth's accord and walk in a uniform pace to his body. Seth bends over, giving the Uso twin a kick, letting him fall helplessly from the ring for his brother to collect the body. The two retreat, following Christian's lead and back away to the announce table as The Shield exit the ring, following them like a pack of wolves. Ambrose and Rollins go after one as the tag team try to split to get away from their attackers, they corner Seth's same victim.

Jey takes off running toward the pair, getting just a few feet past the announce table when Roman hits him with a brutal spear: breaking down the barrier, sending Justin, Dr. Sampson, the time keeper and several other ringside staff members fleeing from the collision. The entire barrier collapses under them, falling apart.

Referees run down the ramp, one stopping to help Christian to the back while several others come to rip Ambrose and Rollins from their prey and help the destroyed Superstar.

Roman writhes on the ground for a few moments, listening to the crowd's shock around them and Ambrose's cackling, joined by the hyena-like laughter from Rollins as they briskly move over to the scene. Roman pushes himself up to his feet as he recollects himself. He looks back at his two partners that give him the signal to leave and Rollins eagerly follows suit over the ringside barricade left over the destruction he had caused, Reigns makes his way to Roberts' side, throwing debris out of his way as he makes careful steps. To everyone around them unaware of the relationship, Roman is about to severely injure another WWE Star. He looks Justin up and down and the older man blushes wildly, unsure what was happening… but something about it felt good. He gasps loudly when Roman takes him with one arm, throwing him up over his shoulder in such a fast motion that he almost didn't have time to be shocked. Roman turns, making his way back out of the debris and over the barricade, carrying the announcer slung over his shoulder like some type of King Kong walks past Rollins and Ambrose fist bumping. There had been much more important things to do that he had on his mind since he walked down those steps. He sets Justin down on the carpeted floor of the arena hallway. The announcer stands there awkwardly, looking at Roman in his bulletproof vest, studying him, attempting to figure out what was going on as he had just been carried away from the show like that and to avoid the rest of The Shield was just a bit smiles and leans up to kiss Reigns as he steps closer, wrapping his arms around his lithe waist. Roman sighs and Roberts is unable to put a real mark on the emotion until the younger man moves, getting down on one knee in front of once, Justin did not have to try so damn hard to be happy with the way his life was going, ever since Reigns walked into his life it had just happened. He woke up every morning, secure in a pair of tattooed, muscular arms. The next chapter of his life could start. The man every Superstar feared made him smile, it was too hard to explain to his boyfriend between saying "Yes" and "I love you" all in one.

Justin Roberts never thought he could mean so much to someone, especially a man like Roman Reigns.


End file.
